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Oates

American  
[ohts] / oʊts /

noun

  1. Joyce Carol, born 1938, U.S. novelist and short-story writer.

  2. Titus, 1649–1705, English conspirator and Anglican priest: instigator of the Popish Plot scare.


Oates British  
/ əʊts /

noun

  1. Captain Lawrence Edward Grace . 1880–1912, English explorer. He died on Scott's second Antarctic expedition

  2. Titus. (ˈtaɪtəs). 1649–1705, English conspirator. He fabricated the Popish Plot (1678), a supposed Catholic conspiracy to kill Charles II, burn London, and massacre Protestants. His perjury caused the execution of many innocent Catholics

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Dave Oates, spokesman for mall owners IPG Business Group, said in an Instagram post said that the operators are “thrilled to announce the reopening of the mall.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

John Oates, known as Harry, was jogging along a public footpath in Cumbria when he came into contact with a low-hanging live cable.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

“I think I’m gonna do another Hall and Oates song,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

Well, one thing many people have long known about Oates, even if they’ve never read her award-winning short stories, is that she loves to tweet, a lot, in a rather outrageous manner.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2025

She teased him because it was all so pretty and melodic, and "in the same phylum as Hall and Oates," and he threatened to evict her from his room.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell